House survives two fires, but not a third

This time, the home on Main Street was destroyed, leaving two families homeless.

Jessica Pierce

Lee and Bish Rush stood outside the two-family home at on Main Street on Tuesday shaking their heads in sorrow.

The big old house before them was gutted by fire Monday night, and the two families who lived inside were left homeless. It was the third recent fire in the building.

While the outside walls were still standing, sections of the roof had caved in, the windows were smashed out and charred debris littered the front yard, including a partially melted plastic basketball hoop, presumably belonging to a young boy that lived in one of the apartments with his parents.

"The flames were just everywhere," said Lee Rush, who lives with wife Bish on Terrace Lane behind the burned house.

The Rushes said the fire started just before 9 p.m., when they were waiting for a television show to begin.

Shortsville Fire Chief Jason Wagner said on arrival his crew saw flames coming from the first floor, mostly in the back of the west side of the house.

"It quickly extended to the second floor then to the attic," he said.

It took firefighters several hours to bring the blaze under control. Wagner's department was helped at the scene by firefighters from several departments, including Manchester, Hopewell, Oaks Corners, Canandaigua, Port Gibson, Clifton Springs and Farmington. A crew from Finger Lakes Ambulance and Ontario County sheriff's deputies also helped out.

Wagner said firefighters were at the scene until just before 4 a.m.

The home is owned by Robert Glover, deputies said.

Gordon Hall, 40 and Cheryl Hall, 42, lived in one side of the home with their three children. Christopher McDonald, 22, and Robin McDonald, 25, live in the other half, Ontario County sheriff's deputies said.

No injuries were reported.

The fire remains under investigation. Ontario County Emergency Management Director Jeff Harloff was planning to return to the scene.

"We have been there twice in the last week for reports of fire coming out of or near the (electrical) panel boxes," Wagner said. "But at this point, I can't speculate whether this is related to that or not."

Judy Bennett, director of the West Ontario County Office of the American Red Cross, said her agency has been helping both families by putting them up in a motel and offering assistance with other needs.

The last two fires also forced the families to seek temporary shelter and help from the Red Cross, Bennett said.

Wagner said that firefighters so far have not found any working smoke detectors in either apartment. "This is another reminder for people to check their smoke alarms — please," he pleaded. "We have them, and we will give them away for free."

The West Main Street home is just a few blocks away from a now vacant, grass-covered lot on Palmyra Street where 17-year-old Red Jacket student Joshua Lewis was killed in a Jan. 21 fire.

Jessica Pierce can be reached at (585) 394-0770, Ext. 250, or at
jpierce@mpnewspapers.com.